Summary for powdered aluminum adhesive Discussion
The powdered aluminum adhesive question centers on a mixture that bubbled, then hardened like a rock and stuck to a work table. In the excerpt, Christopher Newomen asks why it happened, why it behaved like an adhesive, and how to remove it. The only visible reply is a brief suggestion to "Try more baking soda," which implies the reaction may have been driven by the amount of baking soda present, but the excerpt does not provide a full explanation or removal method. Because the thread text is incomplete, no definitive cause is given in the source shown. The practical takeaway from the visible discussion is that the hardening likely came from a chemical reaction in the mixture, and the answerer’s only advice was to adjust the baking soda amount rather than treat it as a normal glue problem.
Q. Baking soda [in bulk on
or
Amazon [affil link]
and water and it started to bubble, then it turned as hard a as a rock, does any one have any ideas why this happened, because it also worked as an adhesive, and will not move, its stuck on my work table, any help please on what happened, why it happened, and how I get it off my desk, thanks.
Christopher Newomen
electronics designer – Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
2004
The other day at work, I was trying to make a combination of powdered aluminum and
2004
Try more baking soda.
Khair Shishani
aircraft maintenance – Al Ain, UAE
Aluminum is highly reactive with Oxygen. Had you mixed the powdered aluminum with powdered Iron oxide and started the reaction you would have gotten the thermite reaction which produces molten iron. Baking soda (NaHCO3) added to Aluminum powder (Al) in water (H2O) probably bubbled off the Hydrogen and left some aluminum oxide (which I think is also known as carborundum)and sodium oxide. A chemist would be able to give you the exact reaction. As for getting it off of your bench, a diamond blade should be able to grind it off.
John Smit
– Reno, Nevada
2004